Video Lesson
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Editorβs notes
Tyler Childers is one of the very best new country artists Iβve heard in the past few years - and this opening track (βFeathered Indiansβ) from his album Purgatory is a terrifically fun one to play. My tutorial here will teach you how to play it: intro riff, chords, and strumming. Iβll show it all, with a very thorough walkthrough of the intro riff (which can be a bit difficult at first). Even if you donβt pick up your guitar to play this song, I recommend giving Tyler Childers a listen! My other favorites by him include Whitehouse Road and Lady May (I have lessons for both).
Lyrics w/ chords
(capo 5th fret)
INTRO
E ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
B ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0h2ββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
G ββ0h2β2ββ4β2ββ2p0ββ|ββ0h2ββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ
D ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0h2β2ββ4β2ββ2p0ββ|ββ0βββββ0h2β4ββ2β0β|ββ0βββββ0h2β4ββ2β0β
A βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0h2β2ββββββββββββ|ββ2h2β2ββββββββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
D A G G
VERSE
D A
Well, my buckle makes impressions on the inside of her thigh
G
There are little feathered Indians where we tussled through the night
D A
If I'd known she was religious then I wouldn't have came stoned
G
To the house of such an angel too f*cked up to get back home
D A
Lookin' over West Virginia, smoking Spirits on the roof
G
She asked, ain't anybody told ya that them things are bad for you
D A
I said many folks have warned me, there's been several people try
G
But up till now, there ain't been nothing that I couldn't leave behind
PRE CHORUS
A G A G
Hold me close my dear.... sing your whispering song
A G A G
Softly in my ear, and I will sing along
CHORUS
Bm A G
Honey, tell me how your love runs true
Bm A G A
And how I can always count on you... to be there when the bullets fly
G D
I'd run across the river just to hold you tonight
VERSE
D A
Well, my heart is sweating bullets, from the circles it has raced
G
Like a little feathered Indian, callin' out the clouds for rain
D A
I'd go runnin' through the thicket, I'd go careless through the thorns
G
Just to hold her for a minute, though it'd leave me wanting more
PRE-CHORUS
A G A G
Hold me close my dear.... sing your whispering song
A G A G
Softly in my ear, and I will sing along
CHORUS
Bm A G
Honey, tell me how your love runs true
Bm A G A
And how I can always count on you... to be there when the bullets fly
G D
I'd run across the river just to hold you tonight
Capo 5th fret!
Tyler Childers plays this song with a capo on the 5th fret - and I do too in my video lesson. As always, you can follow the tabs and chords and play the song by yourself just fine without a capo - but youβll be in a different key from the source recording. Iβll also note, that a capo makes this song easier to play - in that the fret width becomes a bit thinner up around the 5th fret, making some of your pinky stretches easier.
How to play the chords
Youβll need these four chords for this song:
E βββ2βββββββ3βββ2βββ
B βββ3βββ2βββ3βββ3βββ
G βββ2βββ2βββ0βββ4βββ
D βββ0βββ2βββ0βββ4βββ
A βββββββ0βββ2βββ2βββ
E βββββββββββ3βββββββ
D A G Bm
For the A-major, play it like this during the intro riff. This will free up your ring finger (left hand) to play the necessary flourish note.
E βββββββ
B βββ2βββ <-- Use index finger
G βββ2βββ <-- to barre the 2nd fret
D βββ2βββ <-- on these 3 strings
A βββ0βββ
E βββββββ
A
Intro riff
First, understand the underlying structure:
E ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
B ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
G ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ
D ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ
A βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββββββββββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
D A G G
Then, add these flourish notes. If youβre able, keep that strumming hand moving steadily, adding in the other strings as you please.
E ββ2ββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
B ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0h2ββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
G ββ0h2β2ββ4β2ββ2p0ββ|ββ0h2ββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ
D ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0h2β2ββ4β2ββ2p0ββ|ββ0βββββ0h2β4ββ2β0β|ββ0βββββ0h2β4ββ2β0β
A βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββββββββββββββ|ββ0h2β2ββββββββββββ|ββ2h2β2ββββββββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ|ββ3ββββββββββββββββ
D A G G
Strumming pattern
To start with, use all down strums - and try to give the 2nd and 4th beats an emphasis or accent.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D D D D
> >
If you want to flesh it out a bit, try this (down, down, down-up-down-up).
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D D D U D U
> >
Song structure
Verse:
"My buckle makes impressions..."
D . . . A . . . G . . . G . . . x2
Pre-chorus:
"Hold me close my dear..."
A . . . G . . . A . . . G . . . x2
Chorus:
"Tell me how your love runs true..."
Bm A G . . . Bm A G . . .
"To be there when the bullets fly..."
A . . . G . . .
Good luck!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.
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